Category: Arts & Culture | Page 4

Charles Darwin portrait illustrating evolution theory and natural selection in a vintage style

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Peter Biles
Date
June 10, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Beauty, Charles Darwin, ChatGPT, Computers, Evolution}

This Darwin Quote Eerily Describes AI

_{Does a materialistic worldview lead us believe humans are simply advanced computing systems?} _{Peter Biles
June 10, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

I’ve been reading the modern classic The Brothers K by American writer David James Duncan. Not to be confused with The Brothers Karamazov, this novel creatively riffs off of Dostoevsky’s iconic novel while retaining its own unique flavor. Set in Washington state during the crazy 1960s, The Brothers K is about the Chances, a family with a father beaten down after a failed shot at pro baseball, and the four brothers who each respond differently to the rapidly changing culture of the United States. The Chances’ grandmother, who they affectionately call “Grandawma,” is a staunch Darwinist, while Mrs. Chance is a devout Seventh Day Adventist. The Chance children have to wade through the opposing worldviews they’re brought up in, and Read More ›

hacker cat working job profession illustration generative ai

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Denyse O'Leary
Date
June 3, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Business and Finance, Creativity

Tagged
Copyright and generative AI, copyright law, Jonathan Bartlett (on AI and copyright), Kate Crawford, Model collapse, Robert J. Marks, Robert J. Marks on AI and copyright, Stable Diffusion}

Generative AI Is Creating a Copyright Crisis for Artists

_{How does an artist assert copyright when her image was only one of many used to create a new image? How does she make a living if she can’t?} _{Denyse O'Leary
June 3, 2024

4

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Business and Finance, Creativity}

AI companies could be required to record images’ origin and compensate copyright holders. But as Robert J. Marks notes, end users might then have to pay. Read More ›

Alienation: The Outsider and Closed Circle - Picture an outsider looking in at a closed circle, illustrating the alienation and isolation often experienced by those outside of a cult

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Peter Biles
Date
May 30, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AEI, arthur brooks, CS Lewis, The Atlantic}

Arthur Brooks and C.S. Lewis on the Cure for Loneliness and Inner Ring Syndrome

_{The modern world is a lonely place. So what are you going to do about it?} _{Peter Biles
May 30, 2024

4

Arts & Culture}

Arthur Brooks, former president of the American Enterprise Institute, writes a column at The Atlantic on the vast topic of happiness. His remarks are consistently thoughtful, encouraging, and oftentimes convicting, particularly with his latest post, which addresses loneliness. Over half of Americans think no one knows them very well, Brooks says in his essay. Men in America are very unlikely to develop new friendships after age thirty. Marriage and birth rates are falling, and in general, our modern world simply isn’t well suited for deep and abiding friendships. Brooks refers to this as the “Poe syndrome.” The 19th century poet Edgar Allen Poe was a recluse, and preferred to spend his days alone and uninterrupted. The introverts in the room Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
May 26, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
censorship, Content creator, Elon Musk, Free speech, Mainstream Media, media, social media, Substack, Writing, X}

Substack: A Return to the Golden Era of Blogging

_{The writing platform is friendly toward free speech. So why doesn't Elon Musk like it?} _{Peter Biles
May 26, 2024

5

Arts & Culture}

Substack very well could the future of independent writing. As mainstream journalism shrinks, we could see Substack grow even more. Read More ›

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News
Date
May 17, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Social Media

Tagged
Karl Stephan}

Is the New Synthesia Piano Program a Crutch—or a Skateboard?

_{The Synthesia program is a piano roll in digital form. But instead of a player piano, there is a human piano player, playing the part of the player piano's trackerbar.} _{News
May 17, 2024

6

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture, Social Media}

So are the piano teachers of the world doomed by the advent of Synthesia and its spawn of YouTube videos? It doesn't look that way. Read More ›

An ape observes the apocalyptic city after a human disaster

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Peter Biles
Date
May 13, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Apes, Evolution, Human exceptionalism, Progress, science, wonder}

Hurry Up, Let Me Evolve Already

_{A review of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes} _{Peter Biles
May 13, 2024

4

Arts & Culture}

The film, in keeping with the previous three in the series, is smart, exciting, and provocative. It forces the viewer to confront what it really means to be human. Read More ›

Cave paintings over five thousand years old painted on rocks in the Serra do Cipó region, Brazil

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Denyse O'Leary
Date
May 12, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Paleontology, Philosophy of Mind

Tagged
Dinosaur footprints and prehistoric art, Prehistoric art and abstract thought, Serrote do Letreiro Site}

Why Did Our Ancestors Start Drawing in Caves and Making Jewelry?

_{For that matter, why did they choose to develop artworks around fossilized dinosaur footprints?} _{Denyse O'Leary
May 12, 2024

5

Arts & Culture, Paleontology, Philosophy of Mind}

We can’t read the thoughts of the dead who left no decipherable writings but we can study the workings of the human mind from remarkably long ago. Read More ›

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Gary Varner
Date
May 4, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Dystopian, film, Movies and TV, mystery, robotics, Robots, will smith}

I, Robot Review, Part 2: The Ghosts in the Machine

_{Dr. Lanning describes these ghosts as random segments of code and asks questions like why robots choose to stand together rather than alone when they’re stored in a dark place} _{Gary Varner
May 4, 2024

7

Arts & Culture}

Dr. Calvin has been put in charge of decommissioning Sonny, but she’s found some unsettling things about the robot. For one thing, it can break The Three Laws. Read More ›

3D rendering of female robot head that shatters.

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Gary Varner
Date
April 27, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Dystopian, film, Movies and TV, robotics, Robots, Sci Fi, Science fiction, Tech, will smith}

I, Robot Merges Sci-Fi and Noir Beautifully

_{Will Smith versus a world of robots} _{Gary Varner
April 27, 2024

7

Arts & Culture}

I, Robot is one of those rare movies that manages to merge two genres seamlessly: sci-fi and noir. Read More ›

Abstract flight in retro neon hyper warp space in the tunnel 3d illustration

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Gary Varner
Date
April 22, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Arts and Culture, Dystopia, fiction, Gary Varner, Movies and TV, Science fiction}

Spaceman Review, Part 3

_{Sometimes you have to leave what you love to go on a mission} _{Gary Varner
April 22, 2024

9

Arts & Culture}

Last time, we talked about Jakub’s new buddy, a giant spider that may or may not be real. This potential hallucination wants to help the astronaut with his loneliness because his wife, Lenka, has left him. The trouble is that the spider’s idea of helping poor Jakub is forcing him to remember his past. The writer wanted to give Jakub a redemption arch using these flashbacks; however, the astronaut’s memories were shown in a disjointed order, confusing the story and making Lenka look very bad, which made her and Jakub’s relationship difficult to root for. The chaotic flashbacks, mixed with a variety of plot holes, made for a very irritating story. One of the most glaring plot holes arises when Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
April 17, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Blake Lemoine, New York City, Sentience, social media, spiderman}

Doc Ock and His Sentient AI Arms

_{Could AI ever control the human mind?} _{Peter Biles
April 17, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

It’s interesting that the Spider-Man universe (or multiverse, I guess) is studded with well-meaning villains. In my last movie review, we looked at Norman Osborn and his tragic transformation into the Green Goblin. What’s odd about his character is that he’s almost a father figure to Peter Parker throughout the film, offering support, guidance, wisdom. It’s the allure of a mysterious form of biotechnology and corporate pressure that sends him off the deep end. It isn’t so different with the iconic Dr. Octopus. An idealist set on inventing a new source of perpetual energy, Dr. Octavius is a friendly but ambitious scientist, who, like Osborn, takes Peter under his wing. The experiment to create a sustained fusion reaction, though, goes Read More ›

A group of people walking together through a bustling shopping mall. This image can be used to depict a busy shopping day or to illustrate consumerism and retail therapy.

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Peter Biles
Date
April 15, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Books, David Foster Wallace, economy, Facebook, internet, music, Narcissism, online life, Self, social media, Tech}

The Crisis of Identity That Tech Doesn’t Help

_{Consumerism works well but leaves us empty} _{Peter Biles
April 15, 2024

2

Arts & Culture}

Writer and cultural commentator Aaron Renn wrote recently about the dissolution of identity in the United States, contending that if we don’t know who we are, we will never know what to do. Renn writes frequently on issues facing young men in America and the challenges of living well in the secular world. He writes, The reality is that a lot of people in top positions of our society act as if they want you living like Simba. They want porn available for you to watch. They want you betting on the big game on your phone. They want you focused on “experiences” and consumption, like hitting the latest hot travel destination or going to the new farm-to-table restaurant that Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
April 12, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Transhumanism

Tagged
fiction, lab, Marvel, science, spiderman, transhumanism}

Green Goblin, the Hasty Transhumanist

_{A classic Marvel villain presents a picture of hurried science gone wrong} _{Peter Biles
April 12, 2024

3

Arts & Culture, Transhumanism}

“The product is certified ready for human testing.” I’m not quoting Elon Musk in relation to Neuralink. That’s the line from the fictional Norman Osborn in Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man movie, starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and the green maniac himself, Willem Dafoe. I’ve seen this movie dozens of times, so maybe it’s due to the weird fact that twenty-plus years after this film hit the scene, we now live in a world where big science organizations like Osborn’s Oscorp seem to be dealing with similar conflicts that ultimately produced the iconic Green Goblin. Not that Elon Musk or Sam Altman are going to start flying around on saucers and terrorize New York City. But they are eager to rush Read More ›

Beautiful dunes in the Arabian desert of Abu Dhabi - UAE

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Peter Biles
Date
April 3, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture}

Why Dune Might Be the Saddest Film I’ve Ever Seen

_{Are we saved through the love of power or the power of love?} _{Peter Biles
April 3, 2024

4

Arts & Culture}

If you’ve seen Dune Part 2 already, read on, but this commentary will include some spoilers, so beware for those who have yet to witness Denis Villeneuve’s visually stunning adaptation of the 1965 classic by Frank Herbert. I read Dune a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it, but J.R.R. Tolkien’s rumored distaste for the book soured some of my reception. Seeing the new films, though, illustrates why this story is so deeply tragic. Herbert drew much of his world and mythology from religion, and Dune is rich in religious allusion. Young Paul Atreides is the “Messiah” figure, and he “resurrects” after drinking the poison of the sandworm (a.k.a., the “Water of Life). There are fanatics in southern Arrakis ready Read More ›

Alma Mater statue near the Columbia University library.

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Peter Biles
Date
March 29, 2024

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

Who Needs Teaching Assistants? Bring In the Bots, Please

_{In defense of a human-led humanities} _{Peter Biles
March 29, 2024

3

Artificial Intelligence, Arts & Culture}

According to Philosophy Nous, the Dean at Boston University’s College of Arts and Sciences suggested that a group of teaching assistants going on strike be replaced conveniently by artificial intelligence. It would be a much cheaper option while the TAs demand higher pay and benefits, and would, apparently, accomplish the same desired ends. The dean, Stan Sclaroff, is a computer scientist. Another article from the same publication makes a list of reasons why philosophers are declining across the country, and why philosophy and humanities departments are getting cut. Justin Weinberg writes, Weinberg goes on to call for a renewed advocacy of philosophy and the study of the liberal arts more broadly. “Selling” philosophy as a worthy undertaking in and of Read More ›

Beautiful lake in misty morning. Forest and clouds are reflected in the calm water surface. Norwegian landscape with dark forest and lake among low clouds. Nature, ecology, eco tourism

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Peter Biles
Date
March 27, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture}

The Lord of the Flies and the Problem AI Can’t Solve

_{The problem of evil is spiritual and can't be solved by more technology} _{Peter Biles
March 27, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

Somehow, I evaded The Lord of the Flies, the young adult dystopian novel by William Golding, while in high school, which is when many Americans encounter it. The ominous aura surrounding this little book always made me hesitant to pick it up. That’s now changed. The book arrested me this past week and had me almost panting by the end of it; this gorgeously written book about a group of schoolboys who crash on an island on the cusp of the third world war is as shimmering in detail as it is horrifying in its theme. The overly optimistic, including those who believe new technologies like artificial intelligence will drastically improve (and possibly even perfect) the human being and the Read More ›

Modern design, contemporary art collage. Inspiration, idea, trendy urban magazine style. Human and social networks glued with finger tape

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Peter Biles
Date
March 26, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture}

Jonathan Haidt’s New Book Confronts Gen Z Anxiety

_{Are the smartphones really to blame?} _{Peter Biles
March 26, 2024

3

Arts & Culture}

A long-anticipated addition to the conversation surrounding Gen Z, those born after 1995, one of the most anxious generations to walk the earth. Read More ›

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Peter Biles
Date
March 16, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Anna Karenina, attention, Books, Distraction, social media}

Anna Karenina and How to Read Long Books

_{"One chapter at a time" is actually how books like Tolstoy's were intended to be read.} _{Peter Biles
March 16, 2024

4

Arts & Culture}

We shouldn’t think we have to climb the mountain before hiking the foothills. Baby steps is the name of the game. Read More ›

Golden Oscar statue in Hollywood with fireworks in the backdrop. Success and victory concept.

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News
Date
March 11, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Arts and Culture, Atomic bomb, Oppenheimer, Oscars}

Oppenheimer Steals the Show

_{Cillian Murphy wins Best Actor, Nolan Best Director} _{News
March 11, 2024

1

Arts & Culture}

The film scored 13 total nominations, more than any other film in history. Read More ›

Mobile phone with blank screen with copy space and old books. Electronic book concept.

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Peter Biles
Date
March 7, 2024

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Arts and Culture, Books, Distraction, Instagram, Jean Twenge, media, mental health, Reading, Social sciences, Substack, TikTok}

Jean Twenge: Gen Z Isn’t Reading

_{Zoomers were born into smartphones, not Shakespeare} _{Peter Biles
March 7, 2024

4

Arts & Culture}

As we are being hypnotized by fifteen-second soundbites, crafting the ability to attend to longer works of art will only become a rarer, but more valuable, skillset. Read More ›